To elect a Chairman of the Board for the 2019/2020 Municipal Year.

Councillor Howgate was elected Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board for the 2019/2020 Municipal Year.

Councillor Howgate in the Chair

To consider appointing a Vice-chairman of the Board for the forthcoming Municipal Year.

Resolved:  that Councillor Kennedy be appointed Vice-chairman of the Board for the ensuing Municipal Year.

To confirm the areas of responsibility for each of the Overview and Scrutiny Lead Members.

Resolved:  that the Overview and Scrutiny Lead Members be allocated the following portfolios:

Councillor Bye – Children’s Services

Councillor Mandy Darling – Health and Adult Services

Councillor Foster – Community and Corporate Services

Councillor Heyse – Place

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 28 March 2019.

The minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 28 March 2019 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Head of Finance to present the Quarter 4 (Outturn) budget monitoring report for 2018/2019.

The Cabinet Member for Finance to answer any of the Board’s questions.

The Boad to consider making any recommendations to the Cabinet.

The Board considered the report of the Head of Finance which provided a high level budget summary of the Council’s revenue and capital income and expenditure for the 2018/2019 financial year.

It was noted that, at the end of the year, the Council’s revenue budget was underspent by £0.5 million after the application of the previously reported one-off funding.  This was in the context of the overspend within Children’s Services increasing to £5.0 million by the year-end.

The Board raised a number of questions, especially in relation to the situation in Children’s Services.  It was felt that further consideration of specific areas of spend may be useful, especially as further budget savings would need to be found in the future.

Resolved:  that members of the Board discuss with the Head of Finance and the Cabinet Member for Finance the level of detail included in future budget monitoring reports and the methodology for reviewing that information.

To consider the draft Local Account for adult social care and to consider making any comments for inclusion within the final document.

The Board considered the draft Local Account for Adult Social Care for 2018/2019 which provided information on the performance of the service over the past year.  The Chairman of Healthwatch Torbay attended the meeting and provided the views of his organisation.

The Board highlighted a number of issues including the increase in the number of safeguarding concerns reported, the support available to carers and the perceived lack of progress of the Paignton Health and Wellbeing Centre.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Services and Health invited the Board to provide feedback on the emerging Digital Technology Strategy – an offer which the Board accepted.

Resolved:  that the Head of Policy, Performance and Community Engagement be authorised to provide a commentary for inclusion within the Local Account based on the debate and discussions at the meeting.

To agree the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for the forthcoming Municipal Year.

Resolved:  that, subject to including an update on the Housing First project during the autumn, the Work Programme for the Board be approved.

To consider the proposed scope and key lines of enquiry in relation the proposed work of the Board on climate change and to determine whether to issue a Call for Evidence.

The Board considered the scope of the Climate Change Emergency strand of the Work Programme.  The Chairman reported that he had filmed a short video to be shared as part of the call for evidence and invited any member of the Council to join the associated task-and-finish group.

Resolved:  that the scope for the Climate Change Emergency strand of the Work Programme be agreed.